The present invention relates generally to product promotion and, more particularly, to the promotion of healthcare-related products.
The use of promotional items has proliferated in today""s increasingly competitive marketplace, where companies are constantly seeking more effective and new ways to market their products. In the healthcare industry, physicians and other healthcare providers often receive promotional articles from vendors of healthcare-related products, such as pharmaceutical products. These promotional articles often include xe2x80x9ceverydayxe2x80x9d items, such as writing pads, calendars, and pens that have promotional information (indicia) printed thereon. For example, pharmaceutical companies often provide physicians with writing pens having the name of a particular pharmaceutical product printed thereon with the hopes that the pens, when used by the physicians, will help remind the physicians to prescribe the particular pharmaceutical product.
Unfortunately, because of lack of distinctiveness, many promotional articles provided to healthcare providers often become xe2x80x9clost-in-the-shufflexe2x80x9d with other promotional articles. Thus, there is a need for distinctive, more effective promotional products directed to physicians and other healthcare providers.
In view of the above discussion, promotional apparatus are provided that may be used, for example, by healthcare providers to educate patients and others on one or more particular pharmaceutical products. According to embodiments of the present invention, a promotional apparatus includes a housing, a support member that is configured to support articles suspended therefrom, and a display panel. The support member extends from the housing and is movable between a first position when not supporting an article (e.g., clothing, medical instruments, etc.) and a second position when supporting an article. The display panel is operably coupled with the support member and is movable between a retracted, non-visible position within the housing when the support member is in the first position and an extended, visible position when the support member is in the second position. The display panel includes promotional indicia thereon.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the support member is movable between first and second positions in a first direction, and the display panel is movable between retracted and extended positions in a second direction that is substantially parallel with the first direction.
According to other embodiments of the present invention, the support member is movable between first and second positions in a first direction, and the display panel is movable between retracted and extended positions in a third direction that is substantially transverse to the first direction.
According to other embodiments of the present invention, the display panel may remain visible until an article is placed on the support member. The display panel is configured to retract from view when an article is placed on the support member.